Now this is a topic most DIY'ers talk about and learn to hate. Some use a mirror or a big back yard. Well I think I finally found a use for the (useless) digital zoom that all camcorders have these days!

Put the camera on a GOOD tripod and find a tree or something far away but visible both to your unaided eye and the camera's viewfinder. Now zoom in making sure the digital zoom feature is ON if you have it turned off. Now you will be able to see the dot to adjust for best collimation a LOT easier.

Yes if the beam is small enough. The acrylic collimators everyone's using aren't although I've scorched things with a 8mm beam (125mW). IgorT will have some news on collimators with smaller beam diameters in the near future. These should have beams about half the current size. Of course nothing burns like a perfectly focused waist. Many materials actually glow yellow (incandescence) from the intense heat!